Haiku Noir

The next day
Our hero goes looking
for trouble. He finds it, and
is ever so glad.

He says...
He likes to solve crime.
Untrue, he likes to see his
character contrast

With the scum he rakes.
No coincidence that he
was a news writer.

She says...
Didn't see a thing.
Not the blood, not the gun, not
Any single thing.

How could she see him?
She was out that night, going
Over Mother's will.

And then...
Just as he (Mike) is
About to ask her something
His partner comes in.

Nobody
Likes his partner, 'cause
He always smells like cheap wine,
Sweaty in his suit.

The girl walks out...
"That was a fine entrance,"
Mike says, extremely annoyed.
"Scaring my witness."

"Aw, shut up," said Claude,
"I already found the killer.
We don't need the girl."

Turns out...
The girl's brother died,
Mysteriously, gut-shot
In a dark alley.

And it was no one
She knew, just happened
To see a well-off

Guy walking around
On an unfamiliar street.
That was that, he said.

"The killer confessed?"
Mike wants to know how it went.
"Easier than most."

Unfortunately, that wasn't all...
As Mike learned reading
The L.A. rag account of
The killer's trial.

"Look what he says, Claude -
'I didn't want to - she told
me there would be pay.'"

But now, she's gone
Apparently, Ma
Left her a sizable chunk.
"How did she die, huh?"

He makes a trip...
Turns out the lady
Was poisoned; tell-tale bottles
Under the baseboards.

Back in L.A....
He looks for the blonde,
Who wants to be in movies -
Finds her in Malley's,

Trying to be seen,
Discovered by directors.
He takes her arm, but

Most importantly,
Her hand. It's still stained a bit
From the residue.

For one murder...
She's jailed, but two?
The evidence won't match up.
She needed money,

But she didn't shoot.
Who did? It must be
Someone with a crush,

A reason to do
Whatever she asked, bitter
When she betrayed him.

Behind
The femme fatale, see
If you can find a man who
Schooled her in murder.

Her cousin
A drifting mob man,
Taught her everything she knows.
He set up the stooge.

Just to fall in love
Was a guarantee; the hit
Was hit-or-miss. Now

Both of them should be
Jailed, but only she will fall.
He's got connections.

Tomorrow
When he reads the news,
Someone else will turn up dead.
Business is booming.